What is a collectibles app?
A collectibles app is a web, mobile, or desktop application that enables users to buy and sell collectibles with other users. Collectible apps usually include interfaces for browsing available collectibles on the market and a messaging system for proposing bids and negotiating sale prices.
Collectibles apps are similar to e-commerce apps, lending apps, and crowdfunding apps. The most popular app types of this kind are eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, and Wish.
Examples of collectibles apps built with Crowdbotics:
- A PWA (and ios/ android if budget allows) that will use reverse image search to scan sports cards. Will allow users to keep track of their collections.
- An interface for buying, selling, trading, and showing off sports card collections. The main page will pop up which will be option of top trade, top collector, and top catalog and these update daily. The catalog will be created from every users’ cards for the user to search through.
What is the typical cost to build a collectibles app?
A collectibles app usually costs about $37,500 to build. However, the total cost can be as low as $25,000 or as high as $50,000. A collectibles app with a low number of features (also known as a minimum viable product, or MVP) will be more affordable than an app that includes all intended functionality.
For example, here are some previous collectibles app price quotes from Crowdbotics:
How long does it take to build a collectibles app?
A collectibles app usually takes 350 hours to build. However, a collectibles app can be built in as few as 200 hours, or in as many as 533 hours. The exact timeline mostly depends on how complicated your specific app is. As a general rule, it will take longer if you require highly custom designs, niche features, complex logic, or non-standard release platforms.
For example, some previous collectibles apps build with Crowdbotics received the following hourly estimates:
Not seeing what you’re looking for?
Crowdbotics has quoted and built hundreds of applications for teams of all sizes. Browse our historical estimates by industry and app type to understand possible costs and considerations.
How to successfully grow your collectibles application
A collectibles app can grow rapidly by demonstrating that it provides a high level of value for a specific type of user. Collectibles apps need to show users that they understand the type of collectible that they are looking for, and they also need to demonstrate that there is a large pool of eligible users already on the platform. Collectibles apps must provide a high level of user interaction in order to drive growth, including live transactions between users as well as sharing and discussion features.
Risks and challenges of building a collectibles application
Collectibles apps face a number of legal and logistical risks, including copyright infringement, the use of protected trademarks and artwork, the sale of counterfeit goods, and tax evasion. Before creating a collecting app, you will want to ensure that you are familiar with all legal requirements for protecting the intellectual property of third-parties. You should also take steps to verify the authenticity of collectible items being sold through your app.
